I sat on this post for a while trying to find up-to-date information on its status but was unable to locate anything. This is a storage facility planned for the east bank of the Willamette River. Typical storage facilities can take up to 30 acres, but this one, designed for house boats, recreational vehicles, and storage pods, is going to be maxed out on 3 acres. The taller tower rises 22 stories into the sky and uses a giant mechanical arm capable of lifting 40,000 lbs. Interestingly, the project is planning construction to LEED Platinum standards and will include more than 175,000 sf of solar panels (making it the largest solar facility in the northwest). With the estimated project costs at about $40 M, Portland City Storage also plans to rehabilitate the riverfront property adjacent to the towers.

In many ways this project has been lauded for it’s green objectives: LEED Platinum construction, building up not out, using 175,000 sf of solar, and rehabilitating the riverfront area. But on the other hand, critics point to the purpose of the building, ostensibly to store objects that may be recreational or extraneous, and say people should not accumulate so much extra stuff. Are we coddling overconsumption by wrapping it in a green package or are we providing necessary facilities that have minimal impact to the environment? Thoughts? Via Treehugger, Gizmodo + USGBC.

::"S2" is short for "Skyscraper Sunday," a weekly article on green skyscrapers posted every Sunday::